The High Line is property of the City of New York and under the jurisdiction of the Department of Parks & Recreation.

It is managed in partnership with Friends of the High Line.

VIDEO: A Bird’s Eye View of El Anatsui’s Broken Bridge II

By Ashley TickleDecember 18, 2012

Photo by Austin Kennedy.

In last week’s New York Observer, writer Andrew Russeth spoke with El Anatsui about his theory and process behind Broken Bridge II, his largest public artwork to date, which is now on view at the High Line.

“I felt the skyline is a strong defining element of this city, so the mirrors form large segments of the top. They invite the sky and skyline into the work in such a way that you do not know where mirrors end and sky begins,” the artist told the Observer.

Follow us after the jump to watch a timelapse video of the installation.

Assembling this artwork, which consists of hundreds of pieces of recycled tin and mirrors woven together, was our most ambitious undertaking to date. It involved the coordination of many individuals, and that is why we want to take a moment to extend a special thank you to our installation crew.

With the help of the team at Service Sign Erectors, the artwork’s layers came together and look beautiful on site. We had the pleasure of working with Drew Spence, Zachary Budden, Khadir Rahman, and others who spent long hours scaling the wall to install large sheets of recycled press tin and mirrors. Hurricanes and snow storms altered the installation schedule, but their flexibility and commitment remained constant. Along with Project Manager Tyler Myers, their hard work has finally paid off.

Stop by to see the work for yourself. It is installed on an exterior building wall between West 21st and West 22nd Streets.

Don’t forget to share your photos on Twitter and Instagram by using the hashtag #BrokenBridgeII.